


𝙋𝙪𝙧𝙜𝙚 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚

by hwashinestar



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Blood, Death, Halloween, Heavy Angst, I promise it'll be worth reading, M/M, Really heavy, SanHwa is cute, The Purge, The Purge AU, a lot of blood actuallt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-10-25
Packaged: 2021-01-02 16:03:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21164348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hwashinestar/pseuds/hwashinestar
Summary: "Blessed be the Government for letting us Purge and cleanse our souls, Blessed be South Korea, a country reborn."◤◢◣◥◤ ◢◣◆◢◣◥◤◢◣◥“Providentially, I’ve prepared ahead, and, thanks to that, contingencies are taking place. For tonight, there will be blood; tomorrow, there shall be glory.” An undeniable rush of adrenaline went through his veins as soon as the last sickening word left his lips, forearms shaking slightly as he closed the heavy door made of metal. One last look and he was able to see the still body shrinking; oh, he thought, I forgot about the uncut tendons.◤◢◣◥◤ ◢◣◆◢◣◥◤◢◣◥— Copyright Claim —►The characters in this story are found to be only allusions to real people, and none of the situations and personalities found here reflect the reality, as it is a work of fiction.►Any original characters in this story are my intellectual property.►This story was made with no intention to denigrate or violate the image of the artists.►The basic plot of this story was based on the American movie The Purge, however, the deaths and the main plot of 𝙋𝙪𝙧𝙜𝙚 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚 have nothing to do with the original ones brought by the movie.





	1. 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘶𝘦

** _October 24th, 2019_ **

** **

Maybe it had to do with how Hongjoong played with the pocket knife, a thick rope wrapped around his waist, or with how Jongho smiled at his Type 70 compact pistol that he, unbeknown to them all, got from a North Korean soldier — he swears that he didn’t steal it, and nobody would even try to argue, who would be able to steal from a soldier anyway? Apparently, Jongho, after all, how the hell did he manage to get that gun? They had stopped asking —; perhaps it had to do with the backpack filled with different, resistant models of ropes that Mingi carried on his back, with the sword hanging by Yeosang’s hips, with the arrows Yunho was loosely and slowly throwing in the air, or even with the scalpel held by two of Wooyoung’s fingers — is that a small electric saw coming out of his bag? He wasn’t sure —; all San knew was that not even Seonghwa’s soft hands on his dry ones were able to calm him right then.

“Are you sure you’re not coming with us, Hwa?” Wooyoung’s voice sounded pleading — way too much for someone who swore on his mother’s life he had only had two extra pills added to his daily dose of antidepressants —, and it made San a tad more nauseous than he already was.

“Yes, Wooyoung, I’m sure.” Seonghwa let go of the younger’s hands only to step in front of him, as if, somehow, protecting him from the words he was about to say. “If I leave, someone gets in here and something happens to San, I’ll never forgive myself.”

“If someone what?” San’s voice came out small and weak, his hands clutching the back of Seonghwa’s sweater, and, at that, everyone in the room turned their attention to the scared boy — it was the first time they had heard his voice in the past hours.

“No one is getting in, okay, Sannie? It’s just a supposition.” It was Hongjoong’s turn to speak, and San didn’t have time to question his affirmation before Seonghwa pushed them all out of their room, mouthing a whispered_ I’ll be back in a second_ to San before closing the door and facing their friends.

“Listen, I really cannot go, can’t you guys see how desperate he looks? I’m not leaving him alone, guys.”

“You spent months talking about this, going on and on about how the first Purge was a huge deal, and how you couldn’t wait to be able to release all the hatred and violence you keep inside of you, you were scaring us all with this bullshit, hyping us up only to back out? Coward.” The last adjective flew through Yeosang’s lips in a mere air puff, and he hoped the other hadn’t heard him; starting a fight was the last thing he wanted, especially with all the weapons right at their reach, things could go out of control and their only rule — to never harm one another — would be gone down the drain. Maybe it was the lack of motivation or the viewable tension emanating from Seonghwa’s features, but the eldest didn’t give a damn about his friend’s words, simply rolling his eyes and leaning against the thick brick walk.

“A lot has happened since they announced this would be happening here, Yeosang, and you know that; you all know I’m not gonna trade San’s safety for my own personal distress adventure, I’ve said this a million times already. I, honestly, don’t get why the six of you seem so surprised.” A sigh could be heard from across the hallway and Seonghwa wasn’t exactly sure if it had been Yunho or Mingi — they spent so much time together that acquiring each other’s habits was bound to happen.

“Can I take some of your guns, then?” The youngest of them all had hopeful eyes awaiting a reply, but a frown appeared on his lips as Seonghwa shook his head.

“First of all, I’m sure you have more than just this ridiculously old gun you’ve been swinging on your finger, you don’t need mine. Second of all, how am I supposed to protect San, Jongho? With my bare hands? You do know people might break in with axes and shit like that, right?”

“Oh.” Wooyoung snickered. “Are _you_ scared? Wow, the grand Park Seonghwa is actually scared of getting killed.”

“Aren’t you, Wooyoung? You’re acting all smug but I’ve seen you sighing while getting out of your room, I’ve seen your hand shaking as you fixed your hair in the mirror. Get over it, we’re all scared. This is a life or death game, and it’s not like we’ll have two extra spare lives after getting our throats sliced open.” Only Yeosang was able to get Wooyoung to shut his mouth as if a cat had gotten his tongue. Seonghwa had always been grateful for that. “We should get going, the siren will blare in ten minutes, we should wait before our gate.” And, with that, the man walked to the entrance of their house — mansion? —, most of them following right after, only Hongjoong remaining.

“Aren’t you going, Joongie?” And, as Seonghwa noticed the way the other’s eyes shined with thin tears, he realized that Yeosang was right, they were all scared. “Hey, come here.” He pulled him in for a tight hug. “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to, you know that, right?”

“I want to, I really do, Hwa, it’s just adrenaline.” He sighed. “I know I don’t have to ask this but I will nonetheless… please take care of him, Seonghwa.” Hongjoong motioned his head towards the closed door. “San’s so emotionally fragile that sometimes I forget he’s not a child anymore… thank you for not leaving him like we are.”

“Hey, don’t speak like that.” Before he could continue, a strangled scream — undoubtedly Wooyoung — came from the living room, asking Hongjoong to hurry up, and, just like that, in one second Seonghwa had him in his arms, and in the next one he was walking away. “Please be careful.” The eldest whispered, not only to Hongjoong but to the others as well, to his family.

As the emergency signal started to blast, Seonghwa opened the afore closed door, startling the boy sitting inside for a short period before San ran to him, big eyes looking up before he hid his face in the other’s chest. The television shining with a blinding red color.

**“This is not a test.**

**This is your emergency broadcast system announcing the commencement of ** **the** **first** ** Purge, sanctioned by the South Korean Government.**

**Weapons of Class IV and lower have been authorized for use during the Purge. All other weapons are restricted.**

**Government officials of ranking 10 have been granted immunity from the Purge and shall not be harmed.**

**Commencing at the siren, any and all crimes, including murder, will be legal for 12 continuous hours.**

**Police, fire, and emergency medical services will be unavailable until tomorrow morning at 7 AM, when the Purge concludes.**

**Blessed be the Government for letting us Purge and cleanse our souls, Blessed be South Korea, a nation reborn.**

**May God be with you all.”**

At the end of the announcement, Seonghwa had his guns sprawled out on their bed, his body stiff against the wall as both he and San sat down on the cold floor, hearts beating rapidly, bodies sweating, hands held together. Once the siren blasted, the youngest received a sweet kiss on his forehead, and they silently vowed to keep quiet for as long as it would be necessary. Those would be unending twelve hours.


	2. 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Character death

** _October 24th, 2021_ **

** **

"Be careful, okay?" San said, tiredness dripping from his voice as he helped Seonghwa to put his long leather coat on. "Why leather, by the way? Isn't uncomfortable?"

"Yes, it sort of is, but I look good, don't I?" He asked, a sly smirk on his lips as he crossed his arms in front of his chest before laughing and pulling the other into his arms once San simply shook his head and giggled. "And you've told me to be careful so many times already, Sannie, I'll be okay." The youngest stepped away from him, grabbing the Louis Vuitton bag on their bed — doing his bed to ignore the shining locker hanging by its zipper — and throwing it at Seonghwa. "Besides, apparently, they don't hurt the people who are there to help the injured ones. I'll be just fine."

"Hey, do you want a ride to your station, Hwa?" Hongjoong's voice erupted throughout the big room once he entered after a soft knock on the door. "Yeosang's about to go to the arena and he told me to ask you."

"Thanks, Joongie." He sighed. "But no, did you forget I said I'd drive you and the others to the hideaway?"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot." Embarrassedly, Hongjoong chuckled, throwing one of his arms over San's shoulders only to have the other walking away from his affectionate touch. "Jongho and I were going on foot and I think Yunho and Mingi are going to go with Yeosang."

"Honestly, I don't even know why I try to be nice and helpful to you guys when you clearly don't need me to be." Rolling his eyes, Hwa checked his hair in the mirror — as if someone would pay attention to his freaking hair at a night like that one —, turning his back to the other two men in the room.

"You should come to Purge with us, so much hate boiled inside of your body, damn." He voiced, merely as a whisper, walking out of their room and stomping his feet on the way to the living room.

Without saying another word, Seonghwa held his precious, expensive black bag against his side, taking one of San's hands in his and following Hongjoong's previous steps. As soon as they reached the others, they saw Yeosang, Mingi, and Yunho leaving their house, stupidly ridiculous smiles on their lips.

"Where's Wooyoung?" It was San's turn to ask, drinking the last bit of water inside his bottle before walking to the kitchen to fill it again.

"He left already, told us to call him if we need to." Jongho loaded the same old gun, standing by the door, wordlessly telling them all to finish up whatever shit they were doing and hurry up. "Does anyone even know where his hideaway is?"

"I do." San said, fanning himself with his cold, shaky hand, and grabbing Seonghwa's car key. "Apparently I'm the only one who won't go after him and bug his _work_; however, this is not important right now, can't we just go already?" Jongho didn't need to be told twice, unlocking the front door and walking to Seonghwa's car.

"Where's your backpack, San?" Hongjoong asked, pushing Seonghwa out of the house and staring at the youngest standing by the black car.

"Right, right, oh my god, I can't fucking believe I almost forgot it." The man turned his head around and around again, eyes searching for the gray bag and finding nothing, desperation taking over his features before he heard a chuckle from outside.

"I've got it, Sannie, come on, it's too late already." Seonghwa's playful tone calmed him down and made Hongjoong snicker before they both stepped out and the oldest of the two locked the door. "Here." He threw the heavy backpack at the other, entering his car and turning on the engine.

"Why are you so worried about this goddamn bag, San?" Jongho questioned, buckling the seatbelt.

"Because while you guys have all of these weapons to have fun with, I have to go through twelve hours with food and counting on the fact that this new hideaway has electricity for all the shit I need to charge."

"Okay, hm, not to worry you, Sannie, but last year some participants tracked victims through satellite signal, so... I'm not sure if it's a good idea to use your electronic devices at all during the Purge."

"B-but I'll grow bored, I'll be all alone this time." The most adorable pout got formed on his thin lips once he took in his friend's words.

"I know you don't wanna get your hands dirty and all of that bullshit you say every year, so why don't you go with Seonghwa to help the others?" Even Hongjoong, by that time, was getting tired of the youngest's voice every time he opened his mouth to complain about San's personal choices — even though he, himself would nag at Seonghwa's apparent ones.

"First of all, it's not bullshit, y'all keep talking about cleansing your souls in the name of God, but you're all just a bunch of fucking sinners." He raised his voice, practically spitting the words stopped in his throat for the past two Purges, startling the other three people in the car. "Besides, Seonghwa didn't want me to."

"Jesus, San, don't say it like that, I told you to come with me." Seonghwa gripped the steering wheel harder.

"Yes, and you also made sure to mention all the dangerous I'd be under if I went with you, making me even more scared than I already was. I just wanted to be with you, for god's sake, to feel safe, but you're leaving me alone."

"I'm only leaving you by yourself so that I can help other people!"

"Are random, unknown people more important than me now, Seonghwa?" Seonghwa's lack of an answer didn't mean that he agreed with San's words, and San himself knew that, but that doesn't mean that it didn't hurt, it doesn't mean that the other two men inside the car didn't feel uncomfortable, that they couldn't cut the sudden tension with a knife.

About fifteen minutes went by before Seonghwa abruptly stopped the car, parking by the house that was going to be San's hideaway for the night. Jongho left, and then Hongjoong, but San refused to open the door once he realized Seonghwa hadn't even taken his seatbelt off.

"I'm sorry, Hwa." He sighed. "I'm just really stressed and I know I exaggerated, but don't be like this... please." Once the other did nothing but blink, the youngest sighed once more, holding onto his heavy backpack and leaving the car. "Aren't you going to, at least, say goodbye?" And maybe it was the truthful frown on his lips or the way he held oh-so-tightly into the open window, but Seonghwa couldn't just start the engine and leave him there. In a quick move, he stepped out of the car, closing it right after and taking long steps until he reached San, staring into his lost eyes for a brief second before taking one of his arms in his hand and pulling him to the entrance of the house, easily going through the ajar door.

"Please, please call me or text me if anything happens, San." Seonghwa's words came as a whisper, all his sudden fear taking care of every action he took. "I'm so sorry I'm leaving you alone, but we talked about this last year, I just... I really hope you'll be safe in here." And, with that, San felt something cold against the skin of one of his ass cheeks.

"Did you just put your gun inside my pants?" The man asked, voice muffled by the other's coat, hands relaxing on Seonghwa's back.

"I just want you to have something to protect yourself with, you know, in case you contact me and I can't get here in time." He separated their bodies, an apologetic smile on his lips. "I have to go now, okay? I want to get there before the Purge starts. Tell the boys to be safe, and to contact the emergency unit in case any of them gets hurt, alright?" San could only nod as he received a chaste kiss on his forehead, eyes quickly heaving with thick tears as he watched the other walking back to his car.

San closed the door and locked it, traveling his eyes trough the house he had visited multiple times during the second semester of the year, unbeknownst to his friends. As he made his way upstairs, he crossed ways with Jongho, who paid little to no attention at all to the tears streaming down the oldest's face.

"Joongie?" Hongjoong turned around — rope on his hands, knife on the back pocket of his denim pants —, eyes widening in shock as soon as he took in the other's state; as fast as his brain could process, he took the other in his arms, fingers softly threading through his hair.

"Hey, hey, it'll be okay, sweetheart, you'll be okay."

"I don't want to be alone, he left me alone, you'll leave me alone." San's hands weakly took a hold of the other's sweater. "I'm scared."

"I know, Sannie, I know, but we'll all just be one call away; they won't get inside if they think there's no one ."

"Yes, because that worked perfectly last year, right?" They both sighed before San broke the painful hug, sitting on the old mattress on the broken bed.

"Did you check the house, San?"Hongjoong had an odd expression on his face as he furrowed his eyebrows, questioning look in his eyes.

"No? I thought you would have done that? Why?" An indescribable worry took over San's body, hands instantly trembling.

"I thought I had heard something, but I just recalled Jongho's still here so it's probably just him." He kneeled in front of the other, placing a quick kiss on one of his hands. "Don't worry, okay, sweetheart?"

"I'll go check." He said standing up, ignoring the confused look thrown at him by the boy crouched down. _Is he feeling brave out of nowhere?_ Hongjoong thought but brushed it off as soon as he saw San's hesitance in leaving the room. Blinking once was enough for him to miss the youngest walking away from the dirty room.

A few seconds was all it took for the — apparently broken — television on the wall to shine with that same old bright red color.

**"This is not a test.**

**This is your emergency broadcast system announcing the commencement of ** **the** ** annual ** **Purge, sanctioned by the South Korean Government.**

**Weapons of Class IV and lower have been authorized for use during the Purge. All other weapons are restricted.**

**Government officials of ranking 10 have been granted immunity from the Purge and shall not be harmed.**

**Commencing at the siren, any and all crimes, including murder, will be legal for 12 continuous hours.**

**Police, fire, and emergency medical services will be unavailable until tomorrow morning at 7 AM, when the Purge concludes.**

**Blessed be the Government for letting us Purge and cleanse our souls, Blessed be South Korea, a nation reborn.**

**May God be with you all."**

Jongho could swear he had heard footsteps on the stairs once he closed the door behind him, his precious gun on his hand, ammunition on the backpack he had just thrown over his shoulder. The smile on his lips as soon as he heard yelling and saw from afar a bleeding person would have appeared crazy for anyone on any other occasion, but not on that night, not when it was a night to Purge. The youngest took one step ahead and kissed his gun, heart insanely calm for someone who was about to have — what could be — his last night.

A scream. A scream with an intonation he knew way too well flowed through his ears and his eyes widened in shock, his body not moving once he felt something falling behind him. Slowly, he turned around — the fire of the burning house on the other side of the street made Jongho's body heat up and his hands started to shake, fingers almost giving up on holding the pistol once his eyes landed on the obviously dead body on the floor; a great pool of blood tinted the concrete under the head, and multiple cuts could be seen on the broken torso. Unsurely, Jongho crouched down, two fingers checking the undeniable truth — there was no longer a pulse —, hand turning the body around. Hongjoong's broken features made the youngest nauseous.


End file.
